Chapter 3: Necessary Sacrifices

As the group neared their destination, Morrigan left the group in order to avoid the army and made her way back to the clearing she lived in. The group arrived at the ruins of Ostagar and Irelia had to admit that it was perfect for defending against an army. High walls that stood high enough so most archers couldn't hit the guards keeping patrol from up there. However their archers would be free to rain arrow after arrow upon the opposition. The positioning of the fortress also meant that an army would be forced to approach them in one direction, removing any chance of a flanking manoeuvre. Irelia suspected however that there would be a hidden exit to allow the defenders to get hit the enemy from a concealed position or escape if they were overwhelmed. All in all, she could see how this would be an ideal place to hold off the darkspawn. Her assessment of the fort was cut short however as the group was greeted by a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties. "Alistair, you have returned and it seems you have brought some unexpected company with you" He had noticed Irelia as they were approaching him and was curious on who she was.

"Hello Duncan. This is Irelia; we found her battling darkspawn while searching for the treaties. She was apparently summoned here from someplace she calls Valoran by accident and had decided to accompany us in our search for the treaties. While we're on the subject, we have the documents here." Alistair showed the treaties to the man named Duncan and continued to explain the situation to the best of his ability. "I told her about the blight that currently plagues Ferelden and she has decided that she wishes to join the Grey Wardens, along with the other recruits."

Duncan now turned his attention towards Irelia. "Are you sure you wish to join the Grey Wardens?" Irelia nodded confirmation and stayed silent. He saw a look of determination that he thought would be quite useful in the upcoming battle against the darkspawn horde. "Would you still be willing if I told you that there is no turning back after you have committed to this course of action and that you could end up never seeing your home or loved ones ever again? In fact you may not even survive the Joining."

Jayde interrupted after hearing the last part of Duncan's question. "Wait! What do you mean we may not even survive the Joining?" Duncan looked at Jayde who was looking at him with surprise in her eyes.

"I cannot lie, you may end up paying the price sooner rather than later. That is why the Joining is kept a secret"

"So you saved my life just so you could possibly kill me just a few days afterward?!" Jayde was angered by this new turn of events and seemed to be ready for a fight if provoked further. Irelia decided to step in by answering Duncan's previous question.

"I suspected that I may have to make sacrifices in order to assist in defeating this Blight of yours and I am willing to face any consequences that may result from my decision."

Duncan had only known this girl for a few minutes and he already respected her for her bravery and determination. She would make a fine Grey Warden if she was fortunate enough to survive. "I apologise for not being honest with you Jayde about the Joining but there is no turning back now and you must follow it through, for the good of Ferelden and its people."

Irelia expected Jayde to burst out in anger but instead, she seemed to calm herself and nodded her understanding. She wasn't pleased with the information she just received but she was willing to move past it in order to protect her people. Irelia couldn't help but begin to like this pointed eared being. "Shall we continue on with the Joining? I am rather curious to find out what it requires."

Duncan was pleased to see the situation handled but he still needed to make sure Irelia was a capable fighter, though if her floating sword and crimson armour had anything to say, she seemed to have faced her own share of battles. "Alistair, you said you found Irelia fighting the darkspawn; how capable did she appear on her own?"

Alistair just grinned before saying "The darkspawn didn't stand a chance against her. We may have assisted her but she was far from needing it. By the time I reached her to give her cover with my shield, she had already slain at least half of them and I'm a pretty fast runner. Not as fast as her though, I saw her fighting with speed that would even give Jayde something to worry about." He turned his grin towards Jayde to show he meant no offence from the comment. Jayde simply smiled at Alistair. She'd had the same impression of Irelia's speed and precision.

Duncan had another question but it was aimed back at Irelia. "And what about that sword of yours? Does that have some tale behind it or can you simply make any blade fly at your command?"

Irelia's tone now hardened to that of steel. "There is a reason my blade can fly yes but as I told Alistair and the others, it is not a tale I am willing to share with you just yet until I am able to trust you more than I currently do."

"No matter, if Alistair says you are a capable fighter and you're willing to commit to your new duty then you are able to go through the joining"

"Then let us waste no more time and go through the Joining."

"Agreed, Alistair has the treaties but the other Grey Wardens and I still have some preparations that we must complete. You can explore around the camp for a while but I request that you restrict yourselves to this side of the ruins and that you do not venture out into the Korcari wilds again. Meet us within the hour by that small clearing to the edge of the ruins"

As Duncan and Alistair left them to complete his preparations Daveth and Jory immediately began to make their way towards the clearing as they had already been at the ruins for several days and were already familiar with the camp they were situated in. Jayde however had only been here for a day and wanted to gather her bearings around this place before she went through the Joining. Irelia was left wondering around a fireplace when her eyes fell upon a man caring for a group of hounds. He seemed to be distressed about something and Irelia though he could use the help. "Are you alright? It looked like you needed a hand with something" Irelia said as she approached him.

The man looked at Irelia with the same look of wonderment and fear that Alistair had given her when he first saw her with her blade. 'I'm going to have to get used to that look' Irelia thought because that blade never left her side and was the only thing she had to remember her father by, but there was also another reason that was far less sentimental. The man realised he was starting to stare and spoke apologetically. "Forgive me, I didn't see you there"

Irelia smiled at the man. "It's quite alright, I was just wondering if I could assist you with any troubles you may have." The man nodded and looked towards the hound in the nearest kennel.

"I'm in charge of caring for the hounds in the king's army but unfortunately I'm having trouble muzzling this dog right here. His master died in the previous battle and when apart from their master the hounds become extremely aggressive towards anyone else who approaches them. In the last battle this poor hound got too much darkspawn blood in his body and is slowly dying from poison essentially. If only I could get him muzzled then I may be able to cure him and hopefully imprint him to a new master, maybe even you if you could help me out."

The man's offer made Irelia look at him in surprise. "I've never owned a dog before and I'm not exactly the type of person who would be able to look after and pamper him every hour of the day"

The statement merely made the man laugh as if what she said was completely ridiculous. "This is a mabari war hound; they were bred centuries ago to be able to understand and carry out complex commands given out to them by their masters. They are also quite the powerful fighters and extremely loyal to their master. They would die to save their master's life in a heartbeat and you would be hard pressed to convince him to leave your side once he has imprinted with you. The only pampering you would have to do is give him plenty of food; he would probably be offended if you treated him like a fragile pet."

"Very well, I will see if I can muzzle him for you but I am unsure as to whether or not I want to become his master."

The man simply grinned and said "Usually it's the dog that makes the decision not the master" Irelia sighed at his words and walked towards the dog, muzzle in hand. She looked into the dog's eyes and saw that the hound was in extreme amounts of pain and she reached towards the animal hoping to calm it. The hound growled at her at first but he seemed to understand that she was only trying to help him and began to lie on the ground waiting for her to approach him. She laid a hand on the hound and put the muzzle across his mouth. She gave the hound a scratch just under the chin and walked away to talk to the man who watched her put the muzzle on the dog. "Well done! I never thought anybody would be able to calm him."

Irelia was pleased that the hound would now have a chance to survive. When she had looked into the hounds eyes it had seemed like the dog had made a connection with her as if she was like an open book for his eyes to read and study. She had felt slightly unnerved by what she had initially thought to be an infiltration into her mind but she had quickly begun to grow comforted by the hound's presence. It was as if he would always be able to understand her, from her actions and decisions to her own motives and beliefs. "Will you be able to make sure he makes a full recovery?"

The man now looked at her with a look of sadness. "Now that he is muzzled I can begin to help him but odds are he will have to be put down quickly. The only cure for the poor fella is a flower that resides in the Korcari wilds but unfortunately non-soldiers like me aren't permitted to venture out into the wilds. The type of flower I need grows quite abundantly in the wilds but there are few other places where it resides."

Irelia looked at the hound with regret as she was also not permitted to go into the wilds; however a voice that she knew belonged to Jayde spoke up as the woman approached the pair. "What does this flower you need look like?" The man turned his attention to her and explained that the flower was white with a red centre. Hope began to spread through Irelia and the man as Jayde opened her hand revealing a flower that matched his description and handed it to the man. "Take it, I found it not long before we came across you Irelia and that dog needs it much more than I ever will."

"Thank you for your assistance kind elf, I will turn this into an antidote immediately; the poor hound should be able to make a full recovery now." The man left the company of the two women to make a cure for the hound. Irelia couldn't thank Jayde enough for what could only have been a great stroke of luck. Jayde simply smiled at her gratitude and made no attempt to boast or act higher than Irelia.

Instead she simply replied "It is not an issue Irelia, we are soon to become sisters in arms and I believe it is better to get along with a sister than to oppose her over trivial things" Irelia and Jayde hugged each other to cement their new friendship and started walking to the small clearing. As they made their way there Irelia needed to ask Jayde about something the man had called her as she handed him the flower. "I heard the man call you an elf, is that some sort of title?"

Jayde almost laughed at her question but she quickly remembered that she wasn't from Thedas and answered her question seriously. "No, it isn't a rank or title; elves are a race of pointed eared people," she said as she showed the tips of her ears. "Who are naturally shorter and usually of slighter build. Most elves live in cities as second-class citizens who have trouble finding work for their whole lives and are treated like slaves and animals by the humans we are forced to live under. They even keep us living separate from their kind in what's called an alienage, where living conditions are so poor that crime rate is always high and getting through the day with only an unknown sickness would almost be considered a blessing. Some elves are lucky enough to be born in a tribe of nomadic elves called the Dalish that live in the forests, free from the rule of humans. It matters not though for as long as you are born an elf no matter if you are a city elf or Dalish elf, humans will treat you like inferior beings that were created only to serve their own pathetic whims."

Irelia felt disgusted that people as kind as Jayde was were treated in such a manner but they couldn't all be so cruel to elves. "What about the man who was caring for the hounds? He treated you with equal respect and I find it hard to believe that Alistair would be discriminatory against you or your people."

"You're right that some humans couldn't care less about race and judge us by how we are as people and not the race we were born under but those people are a small minority in comparison to the worst of them. I have nothing against people like that man or Alistair who treat me and other elves in general as equals but I will never be able to forgive humans in general for the wrongs that my people have been forced to suffer for centuries."

"Then how come you were able accept me as a companion so easily and no one else?"

"Because you're not the same as the others; you were raised in a completely different world and you are unaware of the way people are raised or what they are taught to believe in, just two minutes ago you didn't even know what an elf was." Jayde couldn't help but begin to laugh a little as she said the words. Irelia started to feel more and more at ease around Jayde; she wasn't a perfect woman, she had her flaws and was anything but innocent, yet her heart was in the right place and she was always willing to help a friend in need.

As the two women finished their conversation they arrived at the small clearing where Daveth and Jory seemed to be bickering with each other. Irelia and Jayde went to the corner of a wall and waited patiently for the Alistair and Duncan to finish their preparations. Irelia began to become irritated with her new partners as all they seemed able to do was argue with one another. It seemed that Jory was angered by the secrecy of the Joining and Daveth was tired of his blubbering. Irelia stood there maintaining her calm and composed façade, even though she was becoming increasingly agitated. Her façade broke however when Jory claimed that it didn't seem fair. "Fair? From what I heard about you, you competed in a tournament to prove your worth and you won. You left your wife and child to become a Grey Warden and now you say that they were unfair? All because it just so happens that there is more to being a Grey Warden than killing and glory!?"

Jory seemed to snap at her words. "How dare you!? You think I was happy at the thought of leaving my Helena to fight these creatures!? I will return to her when I have completed my duty for the Grey Wardens!"

"What do you not understand about 'There is no turning back'? Your duty to the Grey Wardens is permanent you fool! You agreed to become a Grey Warden and now that they enforce their warning you want to back out, even though you were already made well aware of the sacrifices needed well in advance. You placed yourself in a position that you can't escape from and you only have your own foolishness to blame!"

Jayde seemed to believe that now would be a good time to intervene in their argument. "And what about you Irelia? You must have people you care about and want to return to."

"You are right that I will miss Ionia and the people of my country but I have no clue as to how I would even get back to my home. Besides they gave me ample warning and allowed me to make my own decision. Anything I come to regret as a Grey Warden will be my own fault, not theirs."

"You didn't mention your own family, why is that? Won't you miss them?"

Irelia's anger at Jory quickly dissipated as she broke eye contact with her newfound friend but Jayde saw the look of sadness in her eyes and she knew the answer without it needing to be spoken. It was the same look that she had whenever she had heard talk of her own mother. Irelia missed her family more than anything else; of course she wished to see them again, they were dead.

The group stood in silence as they continued to wait for Duncan and Alistair to appear so the Joining ritual could start; although Jory's anger was evident and it was focused directly at Irelia any and every time their eyes met each other. Irelia would simply look at him in contempt and remain quiet, deliberately ignoring him. They didn't have to wait much longer as Duncan and Alistair arrived along with another person who was half their height but appeared to be much bulkier. Duncan began to speak to them as he revealed what the Joining ritual actually required. "At last we come to the joining. The grey wardens were founded during the first blight when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation, so it was that the first grey wardens drank of darkspawn blood; and mastered their taint."

Jory was terrified as he found out what was needed in order to become a Grey Warden. "We're going to drink the blood of those, those creatures?"

"As the first Grey Wardens did before us; as we did before you. This is the source of our power, and our victory."

Alistair began to explain the reason behind it. "Those who survive the joining become immune to the taint. We can sense the darkspawn and use it to slay the Archdemon." Everyone was too shocked by this revelation that they couldn't speak. Duncan continued to speak, remaining perfectly calm and composed. "We speak only a few words prior to the Joining but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would."

"Join us brothers and sisters, join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant, join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn and should you perish; know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day, we shall join you." Duncan took a large goblet containing the darkspawn blood from the shorter man's hands and walked towards them before saying "Daveth, step forward." Daveth took the goblet from Duncan and drank from it. As Daveth handed the goblet back to Duncan he began to stagger, struggling to stay on his feet. He started mumbling weird sounds and collapsed to his knees with his hand holding his throat. "I am sorry Daveth" Duncan said just before Daveth lay on the ground, dead. "Step forward Jory"

Jory began to step away from Duncan and draw his sword readying it against Duncan. "But I have a wife, a child; had I known"

"There is no turning back" Duncan started approaching Jory laying the goblet on the ground and drawing one of his own daggers, remaining as calm as ever.

"No! You ask too much, there is no glory in this!"

Irelia looked at Jory, disgusted by his words. "This isn't about glory Jory; it's about doing what must be done!" Anger overcame Jory as he ignored Duncan and charged at Irelia swinging his massive broadsword at her in an attempt to cleave her body in half. Irelia's sword flew in front of her; blocking what would have been a fatal strike. Before Jory got a chance to attack her again Irelia advanced towards him punching him directly in the nose causing Jory's eyes to water and blur his vision. She then kneed him in the stomach and sent her blade flying towards him. Forced on the defensive Jory blocked blow after blow from the flying sword, forgetting all about Irelia assuming she would stay a safe distance from him while her blade went to work hacking away at his defences. His assumption became his downfall as he didn't notice the woman come up to the side of him and bring the side of her palm directly into his neck, crippling him and leaving him paralysed on the ground. Before he could ask for mercy, Irelia sent her blade flying straight through his heart, killing him instantly. She looked at the others and saw their reactions. Duncan seemed impressed by how quickly she had taken care of Jory while Alistair was frightened and angered by her actions. Jayde on the other hand was not sure how to feel about the Jory's death. She understood that Irelia reacted in self-defence but she looked regretfully at the fresh corpse; did he really need to die? "Why did you have to kill him Irelia; I know he just tried to cut you in half but did he really deserve to die? He was just scared"

"He had every right to be scared but he gave in to that fear and tried to run away from his duty, I would never back away from my duty no matter how scared I was; tell me why he should be allowed any indifference."

"And he deserves death for that?!"

"No, he attempted to kill me and I acted out of self-defence." Irelia wasn't mad at Jayde but she had hoped that she wouldn't have opposed her actions in regards to Jory as she had just done. "I will admit that his actions beforehand may have affected my judgement but that is no excuse for his own actions."

Duncan intervened in their argument. "It matters not, the Joining must continue." Duncan handed the goblet to Jayde and waited for her to drink. Irelia watched as Jayde drunk from the goblet. Irelia was impressed by Jayde's openness about her thoughts and her willingness to risk all that defined her as a person in order to save the ones she loved and held dear to her heart. It would be tragic for her to die like this; for nobody deserved death by purposefully drinking what was essentially poisoned blood. Her hopes were shattered as she began to stagger and mutter just as Daveth did. Unlike Daveth however, she kept herself standing but eventually fell to the floor lying motionless. Before Irelia could begin to mourn Jayde's demise, Duncan walked up to the body and shocked Irelia as he addressed the body. "Congratulations, you are now a Grey Warden."

"She lives?"

"She is strong willed and has been through her share of hard times, she will awaken in time, but the Joining is not yet complete, you must also submit yourself to the taint, for the greater good of our land." Relief had surged through as she realised that her friend was still alive and able to fight the creatures that terrorised her homeland; and also by the fact that the joining was indeed survivable. She received the goblet and drank from the goblet, consuming the remaining darkspawn blood. As soon the blood entered her mouth she struggled to swallow the blood as every drop that slipped down her throat seemed to burn her from the inside out. There was no backing out from it however, she had already made her decision and now was the time to fulfil her promise and join her newfound friend in the Grey Warden order. No matter how much she wanted to spit the blood out she kept swallowing bit by bit of the blood until it all slipped down her throat. She began the same process of staggering and trying to hold her head up as she stopped seeing the clearing and instead she saw everything turn black except for a massive dragon staring at her with eyes that tried to stem fear into her. Irelia had charged into an army of thousands of Noxian soldiers without even a hint of fear, she had faced death countless times without a trace of worry or regret and yet the monster seemed to be able strike fear wherever he looked, leaving Irelia feeling lost and confused. The dragon let out a vicious, blood-curdling roar and as quickly as she had found herself trapped with the dragon she returned back to the small clearing where she had just drank the darkspawn blood with Duncan and Alistair looking at her with concern.

She had apparently dropped to her hands and knees as she had gone through what she could only think of as a hallucination. She slowly tried to get up on her feet but as soon as her hands left the ground she immediately began to collapse, only stopping from falling thanks to Alistair catching her. "Irelia, are you alright?" he said as he slowly laid her down into an awkward sitting position.

Irelia moaned from the pain that was coursing through her head and mumbled "I… everything went black then… I saw some sort of dragon and."

Before Irelia could continue rambling Duncan started to explain. "I assume you mean the Archdemon, the monster that leads the darkspawn to the surface in order to ravage everything in its path until everything we know and love has been destroyed. I must admit that I'm surprised by the fact that you're still awake from the ordeal; very few people are able to withstand the pain from the Joining and still maintain consciousness."

"Thank you but I don't think I will be staying conscious for long." Irelia said hoping they would let her rest.

Duncan merely nodded his approval and said "Congratulations, you are now a Grey Warden. Alistair will lead you to a vacant tent where you can get some sleep. You will need it for the coming battle." Duncan walked off his own tent, leaving Alistair to support Irelia as they slowly made their way to the tent they had set up for her. When they reached the tent Irelia thanked Alistair as he made his way to his own tent and then proceeded to crash to the floor and fall fast asleep with her blade lying right beside her.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and i hope you are enjoying the story so far but PLEASE review. I really want to know if you are enjoying the story so far and if you have any thoughts or suggestions for later chapters.